The Division of Birds, housed inside Chicago’s Field Museum, boasts one of the largest scientific avian collections in the country, representing about 90% of the world’s genera and species and containing more than 480,000 specimens, 21,000 egg sets, and approximately 200 nests. A group show opening this month at Paradigm Gallery + Studio in Philadelphia references this unparalleled archive in a celebration of feathered life.
Curated by Colossal’s founder and editor-in-chief Christopher Jobson, Division of Birds is comprised of dozens of works in a range of styles and mediums. More Continue reading →

Dubbed “Boboli 2030,” the redesign plan will be carried out across 40 separate projects. Continue reading →

As age-old art accessories go, pencil sharpeners are a must. Sure, you can use a knife to create that perfect point, but why not just stick that dull writing implement in a snugly housed blade that will do the same—with much less effort? Some may like an easy and quick motorized option, while others might prefer […] Continue reading →

Cradled within wooden boxes, leaves, blossoms, animals, and the occasional bit of human anatomy form the dense topographies of Melis Buyruk (previously). The Turkish artist blends various organic elements into sprawling, monochromatic works made of porcelain that are mesmerizing in intricacy with slightly unearthly undertones. In multiple recent works like the “Blooming Light” and “Golden Bloom,” for example, a single ear appears amidst the mosses and foliage, embedding the fragmented human body part within the largely floral ecosystem. More Continue reading →

Profits from each sale will benefit the artists and the Souls Grown Deep Foundation and Community Partnership. Continue reading →

The ordinary collides with the bizarre in Ben Zank’s photography. Set on the street, on construction sites, or in grassy fields, his surreal images capture subjects in unequivocally inconvenient positions: A businessman finds himself trapped under a concrete block, a wood pile stacks atop one figure, and another precariously grasps the edge of a sinkhole. Often hiding their faces behind barriers or through a distinctly avoidant turn of the head, Zank anonymizes his subjects, making their awkward predicaments appear all the more inevitable and bound to happen to unassuming passersby. More Continue reading →

Artist Sharif Bey centers his practice around recontextualizing, a process he undertakes by fracturing long-held perspectives through fragments. His figurative sculptures unify disparate materials and broad cultural references across generations and eras—his works are notably undated—drawing on both the aesthetics of West-Central Africa, particularly the spiritual protectors known as nkisi, and the industrial histories of his family and current city of Syracuse.
Largely crafted around bits of his own ceramic vessels, Bey’s works are on view at Toronto’s Gardiner Museum in a solo exhibition titled Colonial Ruptures, which questions the inherent value and power of objects, particularly as they’re stripped from their original cultures through colonial violence and structural racism. More Continue reading →

The biennial’s curators asked how land might be an archive, prompting reflections on human conflicts over land as well as visions for alternate relations. Continue reading →

Artist Susan Cianciolo once called her paintings “perfection.” Continue reading →

A bold, conical structure stands on The Donum Estate in Sonoma Valley, casting a vibrant kaleidoscope of 24 colors underneath its canopy. The work of Studio Other Spaces—artist Olafur Eliasson (previously) and architect Sebastian Behmann co-founded the Berlin-based project in 2014— “Vertical Panorama Pavilion” is “inspired by the history of circular calendars,” containing 832 glass pieces arranged around an oculus opening to the north.
Drawing on the microclimate of the vineyard, the studio constructed the mosaic of translucent and transparent panels using meteorological measurements of solar radiance, wind intensity, temperature, and humidity. More Continue reading →

A new theoretical text convincingly argues that orange is the new red, white, and blue. Continue reading →

Every month, Colossal shares a selection of opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. If you’d like to list an opportunity here, please get in touch at hello@colossal.art. You can also join our monthly Opportunities Newsletter.
 
Open Calls
Faena Prize for the Arts (International)
Artists across genres, disciplines, and technologies are invited to imagine temporary and site-specific projects installed at Faena Beach during Miami Art Week 2022. More Continue reading →

Highly pigmented alcohol ink is an incredibly versatile painting medium. Most products can be used on virtually any nonporous surface, from resin to Yupo paper (a synthetic waterproof paper). These inks can be used straight from the bottle or diluted with alcohol to create lighter tones; some brands offer blending solutions, but simple isopropyl alcohol […] Continue reading →

The project languished for a period after Basque officials delayed it, citing economic concerns. Continue reading →